DEARBORN – The Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by safely disposing of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs April 29 and 30.
You can bring your pills for disposal to the west parking lot of Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, 18101 Oakwood Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29. On April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can make drop-offs at the front lobby of the Police Department, 16099 Michigan Ave., or at Walgreen’s Pharmacy, 13601 W. Warren Ave. An officer will be available to assist.
The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles, sharps or prescription bottles with labels. Only pills or patches will be accepted.
The service is free and anonymous and addresses a vital public safety and health issue in the community and across the state. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being taken from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the take back events, go to www.DEATakeBack.com.